Saint Philip Neri is one of my favorite saints. OK, every Saint is one of my favorite saints. I might as well own it.
As far as saints go, St. Philip had quite a life of influence, even though he sought humility. He was born in Florence, Italy in 1515 to a family of means. He seemed destined for success in business but had a spiritual conversion that ultimately led to the priesthood. Neri worked with the poor and sick, and ministered to prostitutes.
Neri’s gift was engaging people in conversation, and then leading them to conversion by having them ponder questions he posed to them. He’s probably best known for creating the Oratory, a congregation he founded for mission work in Rome, and dedicated himself to preaching sermons through Rome.
St. Philip Neri became increasingly popular. He was playful and clever, and often made himself a source of ridicule in order to deflect much of the admiration that came his way. His wisdom, and particularly his use of humor, has drawn me to him, as it did those who knew him. St. Philip approached life with a joyful heart, and endeavored to spread that joy.
I leave you with his best advice:
It is useful for those who minister the word of God, or give themselves up to prayer, to read the works of authors whose names begin with the letter S, such as Saint Augustine, Saint Bernard, etc.
